182 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MICROWAVE THEORY AND TECHNIQUES, VOL. MTT-26. NO.

3, MARCH 1978

[19] J L Smith, “The even- and odd-mode capacitance parameters for Trans. kf~crowaue Theory Tech., vol. MTT-19, pp. 818-824, Oct.
coupled lines in suspended substrates,” IEEE Trans. Mlcrowaw 1971.
Theory Tech., vol. MTT-19, pp. 424-431, May 1971. [21] 1, Wolff, Sept 1975, private communication.

[20] W. H, Leighton and & G. Milnes, “Junctlorr reactance and dimen- [22] H. J. Schm,tt and K. H. Sarges, “Wave propagation m microstrip,”

sional tolerance effects on X-band 3-dB directional couplers,” IEEE Nachrtchtentech Z., vol. 24, no. 5, pp. 26(-264, 1971.

Some Considerations About the Frequency

Dependence of’the Ch aracteristic I mpedance .

of Uniform Microstrips
BRUNO BIANCO, LUIGI PANINI, MAURO PARODI,
AND SANDRO RIDELLA, MEMBER, IEEE

Abstract—Various possible definitions of characteristic im- of different lengths [11]. This may explain the availability y of
pedance are derived from two different microstrip models obtaining computations of ;} which (with some adjustment of par-
similar results. It is shown that slightly different definitions yield ameters) compare well with measurements [1], [2].
strongly different behavior versus frequency.
Insofar as the characteristic impedance is concerned, the
case is far more involved. Strictly speaking, we could only
I. INTRODUCTION
i define the characteristic impedance pertinent to each mode;
HE FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE of the character- then when one speaks of the characteristic impedance of the
T istic impedance ZO(0) of uniform microstrips has been microstrip, it is intended, either explicitly or not, that some
discussed in various papers [4]-[10] with completely differ- hypothesis is made about the mode coupling imposed by
ent results. In Denlinger’s approach [4] Zo(m) is a decreasing the terminations.
function, while the other authors have obtained an increas- The various 20(u) definable are different. In the present
ing behavior. work we shall consider a number of different possible
In this paper it is shown how it is possible to obtain such definitions of Z., on the basis of two microstrip models, due
different results, starting from the definitions of voltage, to W. J. Getsinger and H. J. Carlin, respectively.
current, and power in mi,crostrip.
II. GETSINGER’S MODEL
Microstrips are transmission lines difficult to analyze. A
microstrip, due to the presence of two distinct dielectric In this model [1] the microstrip fundamental mode is
media, cannot carry a pure TEM mode. In most practical approxirnated by a longitudinal-section-electric mode.
cases it can be assumed that only one mode (referred to as However, as the actual structure precludes a direct analysis,
the fundamental mode) does propagate; however, the per- the microstrip (Fig. 1(a)) is substituted by the structure of
tinent propagation constant y does not depend linearly on Fig. l(b); here the three unknowns (a’, b’, and u) are found by
the frequency; this is the dispersion phenomenon. This supposing that the new structure exhibits the same per-unit-
situation ofsingle-mode propagation is assumed, in general, length capacitance and inductance as the original one. A
in the available theoretical calculations. Regarding measur- third equation arises when we suppose that the calculated y
ements, y or c, = – y2/co2e0 PO can be determined by means fits exactly with a measured value at a given frequency, e.g.,
of techniques which eliminate the effects of the strip termina- at 10 GHz. With this adjustment Getsinger was able to give a
tions, such as the use of sliding probes or by comparing lines good analytical expression for y. The analysis of the struc-
ture of Fig. l(b) yields [1]:
Manuscnpt received July 26, 1976: revised July 28, 1977. H,,, = – A,~~,Sh(~,*,) (1)
B. Blanco and S. Ridella are with the CNR Laboratory for Electronic
Clrcults, Vla alt’Opera Pla, 9/b 16145 Genoa, Italy. H*,, = ‘Ai~2ch(~,#~) (2)
L. Panini is with the Marconi Itahana S.p.A., Geneva-Cornlgliano,
Italy En,i = S/io~/4iCh(yi+i) (3)
M. Parodi is with the Department of Electrical Engineering, University
of Genoa, Viale F. Causa. 13 16145 Geneva, Italy. yz + y: = s2&o&*#o (4)

0018 -9480/78 /0300-0182 $00.75 @ 1978 IEEE

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BIANCO etd.:CHARACTERISTIC IMPEDANCE OF UNIFORM MICROSTRIPS 183

r---t-----1
1, IpdI1
0
Cldx
yq
Y ~ ]
\

12 L2 dx %2 ‘x 12td12

.— dx V.-!’$J2
V2 ] Czdx -jL.

Fig. 2. Microstrip model according to Carlin.

III. CARLIN’S MODEL

In this model the microstrip is represented as the result of

two uniform lines coupled through distributed capacitance
[2] (Fig. 2). The modes have propagation constants given by

Fig, 1. (a) Cross-section view of a typical microstrip line. (b) Microstrip

model according to Getsinger.

wheres = ,jm, i = u in the dielectric-filled region, i = a in the where

air-filled region, e. = 1, q is the relative permittivity of the
~T~~ = S&~l
dielectric, and yti and y. are suitable transverse propagation
constants. By imposing proper boundary conditions on
the air-dielectric discontinuities, (1)-(4) give y(m), as said
‘TE=/=% ’12)
above. In order to define the characteristic impedance, let us
introduce the following quantities:

(13)

(5) The minus sign in (11) gives yl, the plus sign gives Yz. We
assume that yz is real (i.e., the higher mode is cut off), and

(6) Y1 = y is imaginary and is pertinent to the fundamental

mode. Carlin’s model that gives an expression of y in good
agreement with measurements [11], is now used for im-
These are the mean voltages across the air region, substrate
pedance calculations. We shall consider a semi-infinite strip;
region, and the whole section, respectively. In t) ~ = O we
then in z = O we have two ports, related to modes 1 and 2,
have the center voltage V.
respectively. Let VI, I ~,V2, 12 be the respective voltages and
V. = –bqi,. =o. (7) currents. Now, in order to compare the results of Carlin’s
model to those of single-mode models, we shall assume that
The total current is
the microstrip is terminated (in z = O) in such a way as to
annihilate mode 2 in the microstrip (z > O).
In order to give expressions analogous to (10) we note first
that in z = O
and, finally, the flowing power is
1) the total current I in the cross section is equal to I ~
since higher modes have zero-average magnetic field
distribution,
(9) 2) similarly the mean voltage is ~ = Vl,
3) the center voltage is now V. = VI + Vz, and
Now we define the following characteristic impedances: 4) P = VI I; + V21~ for we do not consider other modes.

Then we can define also for Carlin’s model the same

characteristic impedances given in (10).
V. v’~ ~~*
z4=— ;z5=— (10) IV. DISCUSSION
P P“
The expressions (10) for the characteristic impedances
These expressions will be discussed later have been obtained, but the calculations are too lengthy and

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184 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MICROWAVE THEORY AND TECHNIQUES, VOL. MTT-26, NO. 3, MARCH 1978

,~
5000
I
71

Mu 1200
ftequency (GHz)

(a)

100 400 808 1200 1608

freqvwmy (GHz)
q Z2 Z3 Z4
25
Li
I

Fig, 3(a) and (b). Plot of the various characteristic impedance definitions according to Getsinger model. Case I: b = 0,635 mm;
w/b = 1; q = 10. Case II: b = 0.635 mm; w/b = 0.5; c. = 10. Circles represent results obtained by Krage and Haddad.

the final expression too complicated to report here. The characteristic impedance definitions, using the Getsinger
reader shall find a complete analysis in [3]. Here we report and Carlin models, respectively, compared with data ob-
the main resLdts regarding the frequency behavior of tained by field analysis through computer [8].
ZI + 25, that is Summing up, we have considered a number of reasonable
definitions of characteristic impedance, based on simplified
1) at co = O all Z~’s are equal to the de impedance (LC)l’2,
models and have obtained different fre uency behaviors. In
L and C being the per-meter inductance and
particular, the definition ZI = ZI (0) +“ e.(0)/&g(~) 1s coinci-
capacitance,
dent with Denlinger’s. The definitions 22 and 23 are
2) Z ~ and 25 decrease for increasing frequency,
analogous to those given in [5]–[10]. The frequency behav-
3) 22,23,24 increase for increasing frequency, and
iors found by all these authors agree with ours. In these
4) the above is true for both models though the expres-
results, it must be stressed that slightly different definitions
sions of the individual Z~’s calculated with the two
as, say, those of Z ~ and 22, yield strongly different behav-
models are different.
iors; ZI decreases while 22 increases for increasing fre-
In Figs. 3 and 4 one can see the results of the various quency. Though characteristic impedance is a useful concept

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BIANCO et al.: CHARACTERISTIC IMPEDANCE OF UNIFORM MICROSTRIPS 185

to 001 ~
100 400 800
frequency (cHz)

‘;”;’ ‘“”e ‘o] 4835 48354835 i035 4835

-
(a)

7600 Carli n,. modal: C?,SQ 11

X’-’-’l ~2

58 on 1
100 400 800 1200 1800
frequency (GHz)

‘Im’t ‘“U’ ‘Q) 6552 85526552 65526552

(b)

Fig. 4(a) and (b). IPlot of the various characteristic impedance definitions according to Carlin model, Case I: b = 0.635 mm;
w/b = I; t. = 10. Case II: b = 0.635 mm; w/b = 0.5; & = 10. Circles represent results obtained by Krage and Haddad.

in microstrip study, the above results show that particular [5] G. Kowalski and R. Pregla, “Dispersion characteristics of single and
coupled microstrips,” Arc!-r. Elek. Ubertragung, vol. 26, pp. 276-280,
care has to be taken both in computer calculations and in 1977-.
interpretation of experimental data to avoid confusion. In [6] H. J. Schmitt and K. H. Sarges, “Wave propagation in microstrip,”
particular, it is hoped that the results sketched maybe useful Nachrichtentech. Z., vol. 24, pp. 264-264, 1971.
[7] B. Bianco, A. Chiabrera, M. Granara, and S. Ridella, “Frequency
in the interpretation of computer-calculated results. dependence of microstrip parameters,” Alta Freq., vol. XJJIL no. T,
Pp. 413-416>1974.
REFERENCES [8] M. K. Krage and G. L Haddad, “’Frequency dependent character-
[1] W, J, Getsinger, “Microstrip dispersion model,” IEEE Trans. Micro- istics of microstrip transmission lines,” IEEE Trans. Microwaue
wave Theory Tech., vol. MTT-21, pp. 34–39, Jan. 1973. Theory Tech., vol. MTT-20, pp. 678-688, Oct. 1972.
[2] H. J. Carlin, “A simplified circuit model for microstrips,” IEEE [9] J, B. Knorr and A. Tufekcioglu, “Spectral-domain calculation of
Trans. Microwave Theorv Tech., vol. MTT-21, op. 589-591, Sept. microstrip characteristic impedance,” IEEE Trans. Microwaue
1973. Theory Tech., vol. MTT-23, pp. 725-728, Sept. 1975.
[3] B. Bianco, M. Parodi, and S. Ridella, “On the definitions of charac- [10] R. P. Owens, “Predicted frequency dependence of microstrip charac-
teristic impedance of uniform microstrips,” Aka Freq., VOL XLV, no. teristic impedance using the planar-waveguide model,” Electron.
2, pp. 111:116, 1976. Letc., vol. 12, no. 11, pp. 269-270, May 27, 1976.
[4] E. J. Denlinger, “A frequency dependent solution for microstrip [11] B. Bianco, M. Parodi, S. Ridella, and F. Selvag@, “Launcher and
transmission lines,” IEEE Trans. Microwaue Theory Tech., vol. microstrip characterization,” IEEE Trans. Instrum. Mess., vol.
MTT-19, pp. 30-39, Jan. 1971. IM-25, pp. 320-323, Dec. 1976.

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